Is It Wrong?
by Marish89
Summary: After Reveille, will Kate and Gibbs finally act on their feelings for each other, or will they abide by the rules which could part them forever. Kibbs. Please review and tell me what you think.


I remember when I first met her. I remember the reaction I had, the reaction she had. I had felt my body have this strange pull, this sensation that I had never had before even with my first wife. I had felt this connection, this reaction, for some reason that I couldn't identify. My first impression had been that she was a capable Secret Service Agent, one that had had more than her fare share of trials and tribulations trying to prove herself in the workplace.

She'd been pale but she had guts, she stood up to me and she wasn't afraid to say "No". She'd gotten sick and he'd collected the evidence. He wanted nothing more than to hold her, and comfort her while she got sick. Then later, after they found the second Naval officer murdered, he'd barricaded her in the bathroom and confronted her with the truth. The emotion, the compassion and hurt that had appeared so rapidly in her eyes had moved him. And it had caused him to offer her a job at NCIS.

The following year had been tough on him, he had fallen in love with his precious Agent but his rules prevented anything from happening. He was aware of her feelings also, and he knew that there was something beyond professionalism, but he wasn't sure that there was anything beyond friendship. He hoped there might, but he wasn't sure.

The night after she was captured, he had been worried. He had gone back to work and discovered her silently crying at his desk. The moment that his presence had been detected, almost the moment he had gotten out of the elevator, she had stifled her tears, and tried to escape, burying herself deeply within the chair.

"Kate," he asked gently, "What are you doing here?"

Kate didn't respond, she didn't know how to.

"Kate, you can tell me what's wrong."

"I just wanted to feel safe," she whispered, "And this was the closest I could get to –" she broke off, not wanting to mention that she felt safest with him.

"Closest to who?"

"You," she mumbled, feeling compelled to answer though not wanting to.

"Why do you want to be near me?" he questioned, shocked.

"You make me feel safe."

"I don't understand," he stated, his confusion showing clearly on her face.

"You comfort me, I don't know why. You just make me feel like everything will be alright, I believe everything you say to me, you make me have faith when I think that I don't have any. You just, I don't know, you make me think that everything will be okay," she said quietly.

Shocked by her revelation, he enveloped her in a hug. She clung to him tightly, as if drawing comfort from his warmth and strength. After a few minutes, she reluctantly let go, and stood as if to leave.

"Thanks," she whispered, before heading out to the elevator, wanting to leave before she completely broke down.

Watching her leave the office, he sighed sadly. Was he ever going to be able to tell her how he felt? Was he ever going to have any sort of relationship with her? Shaking his head, he sat in his chair, marvelling in the scent of her that had remained in the chair.

Realising that this was the only time that her guard would be down enough for her to listen to him on a personal level, he realised that this was the first and probably last time that he would ever tell her how he felt. Racing after her, he got in his car and drove at break neck speed to her apartment, only pausing slightly at her door before knocking.

Opening the door slightly, she peered between the crack, "What do you want, Gibbs?"

"I want to talk to you."

"Please, Gibbs. I just want to be alone tonight," she said quietly, before attempting to close the door.

"No, Kate. I really need to talk to you," he said, pushing his foot in between the door and the frame.

Reluctantly, she nodded and opened the door for him to enter. Looking around her apartment, he realised that it was exactly how he had imagined it. It was nicely decorated, neatly organised, and immaculately clean. Quietly, he seated himself on the sofa, waiting for her to settle herself before starting.

"What do you want Gibbs?" she asked, after sitting on her chair, tucking her legs beneath her and folding her arms in front of her defensively.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" she paused, "I'm sorry, but I really don't want to talk."

"I wanted to talk to you about today."

"There is nothing to talk about. I was kidnapped by Ari and he wanted information. I didn't give it and he let me go."

"You make it seem so trivial. It's a big deal, Kate. You could have died," he said angrily.

"So what?" she asked, "It isn't a big deal. I'm an agent, just like the rest of you. If this happened to Tony, you wouldn't do this. Why am I different, because I am a woman?" she asked.

"I would be just as concerned if it were Dinozzo," he stated, fully aware that she was right.

"Sure you would," she stated sarcastically, "You're a chauvinist, women will never be equal to you."

"It's different with you."

"It shouldn't be."

"But it is," he stated.

"Why?"

Knowing this would be his only chance, he said gently, "Because I love you,"

"You can't," she stated calmly, like he hadn't just turned her world upside down. She loved him too, but this just couldn't happen. It wasn't right.

"Katie, I do. I've loved you for so long. It's not wrong, it can't be because it's so true."

"Gibbs, we work together, and you have rules, number twelve being that romance between agents never works. Not least of all you are my boss. It's inappropriate and can just end in heart break."

"Katie, it'll end in heart break this way too."

"At least we don't start something that can hurt more."

"So you feel the same?"

"Yes, but, Gibbs, this can't happen. We –" she was cut off by the warm, gentle lips of the man she loved pressing upon her own. A myriad of sensations flew threw her, before she responded, deepening the gentle kiss.

When they parted, she whispered quietly, "Wow!"

He replied jokingly, "That's what they all tell me."

Laughing in remembrance of their first time on a submarine, she gently leant forward and covered his lips with her own.

Before they went to sleep that night, the last thing either heard was a softly murmured "I love you."

_(For clarification, this is set after Reveille, in which Kate is kidnapped by Ari and Gibbs puts a bullet in Ari's shoulder.) _


End file.
